Latex paint is in exceedingly common usage not only by the general public but also by businesses. In recent years there has been a direction of movement from solvent-based paint to the latex type of paint. The main objection to a solvent-based paint is to its emission within the air of a petroleum based substance which when breathed is believed to be damaging to humans and is also potentially explosive. The result has been a substantial increase in the volume of usage of latex paints which similarly increased the waste of latex paint.
Whenever a decision is made to paint a given structure, invariably there will be provided an amount in excess of that which is actually needed. This excess becomes waste which usually is discarded. Disposal of latex paint within landfills has been increasingly objected to, which has resulted in increasingly restrictive state, local, and federal regulations, requiring that latex paint waste is to be handled as hazardous waste. As will be appreciated, since disposing of hazardous waste is extremely expensive, it is desirable and advantageous to instead use the hazardous waste in a process which produces other useful materials, thereby eliminating a need for disposing of the hazardous waste.
Packaging materials are widely used industrially and domestically to cushion products ranging from delicate equipment to office supplies so as to prevent damage to the products during shipment and handling. Suitable packaging materials often are composed of an expanded foam providing a low density, flexible packaging that protects a product from damage without adding significantly to the weight of the product when shipped. Although conventional expanded foam materials adequately cushion a product, disposal of the materials is difficult because they may not be biodegradable or recyclable.
Several problems are associated with conventional packaging materials, such as expanded polystyrene peanuts. Safety problems arise during manufacture because the peanuts are formed from styrene monomer which is hazardous to workers if inhaled or ingested. The packaging peanuts also accumulate static charges that cause them to stick to a product when the peanuts are closely packed around the product within a shipping carton. Another disadvantage associated with the polystyrene peanuts arises when the packaged product is a breakable container filled with a solvent, solution, or other liquid. If the container breaks during shipment, or is not sealed properly, the liquid will leak throughout the shipping carton. Polystyrene peanuts do not absorb the liquid to minimize such leakage, and often shrink considerably when exposed to liquid, losing their cushioning effect. Furthermore, the nonbiodegradable peanuts are often discarded after use, adding to existing landfill waste disposal problems.
Expanded vermiculite is a moisture absorbent packaging material which is suitable for packaging glass containers filled with liquid. Vermiculite, however, exhibits fine dust which adheres to glass and plastic. The fine dust can contaminate solvents and damage electronic equipment when the dust remains on the products after being unpackaged. Although a product may be sealed with a packaging film, the fine dust often sticks to the product as it is being removed from the film. Vermiculite is also environmentally harmful because it is not biodegradable and cannot be recycled.
Starch based formulations have also been used to prepare biodegradable packaging materials. Starch based peanuts, however, may also be unsuitable for packaging breakable containers because they may dissolve in the presence of liquid which may leak from the containers. Starch based products also tend to become tacky when exposed to conditions of high humidity which may exist upon shipping and handling of a product.
Recycled newspaper has been used to form a biodegradable, recyclable packaging material. These materials, formed from aqueous slurries of chopped newspapers, are molded into thin hollow walled shells or are extruded as pellets. Although these materials employ waste paper materials, they have several drawbacks. Such packaging materials do not have the cushioning properties and low density provided by expanded foam materials. The materials also require a significant amount of storage space before they are reused or transported for recycling.
What is needed, therefore, is a packaging material which overcomes the disadvantages associated with conventional packaging materials while also reducing the need for disposing of latex-based hazardous waste. The present disclosure provides such an improved packaging material.